Newton Cultural Alliance

New Arts Center presents: Outdoor Landscape Painting
2021-08-03 09:30 - 12:30, 2021-07-27 09:30 - 12:30 (America/New_York) | New Art Center, 61 Washington Park, Newton, MA, 02460, United States
This class for acrylic and/or oil painters will explore the unique challenges of landscape painting and provide students with the skills to render space two-dimensionally. We will be working outdoors, or if the weather is bad, working indoors using photographs and books. Students will learn composition, light, and shading, and the effects of light on color to create a dynamic series of landscapes. Class demonstrations will focus on subject selection, under-painting, personal expression, and creating a sense of space. One-on-one and group critiques will help students take their work to a new level.
Click here to register.

Historic Newton presents: Book Launch - An Evening at Norumbega Park
2021-08-01 17:00 - 19:00 | Boston Marriott Newton, 2345 Commonwealth Avenue, Newton, MA, 02466, United States
A nostalgic return to the fun-loving days of historic Norumbega Park and the Totem Pole Ballroom to celebrate Historic Newton’s new book!

From its Grand Opening in 1897 to when the gates closed forever in 1963, Norumbega Park by the Charles River in Auburndale was the ultimate destination for thrill-seekers and fun-lovers. The park hosted canoeing, amusement rides, explorations through its zoo and gardens, and live entertainment from nationally renowned big bands in the elegant Totem Pole Ballroom (once called “America’s most beautiful ballroom”).
Escape from everyday life with us on Sunday, August 1st, to the actual site of the former park, for a nostalgic celebration of Historic Newton’s new book, Norumbega Park and the Totem Pole Ballroom, published by Arcadia Publishing and featuring more than 200 images from Historic Newton’s archives.
As you enter, get serenaded by a Barbershop Quartet. Enjoy beer, wine, and amusement park food — anybody up for cotton candy, fried dough, and ice cream? — in the beautiful, riverside garden party setting as you’re treated to magic and acrobatic performances, along with a chance to meet the book’s authors, Sara Goldberg and Clara Silverstein.
General Admission tickets are $50 each for access to all food, wine/beer, and entertainment.
Individual Sponsor tickets are $125 each, which includes an additional tax deductible donation to Historic Newton. Sponsor ticket holders will receive special acknowledgment in our event program and a signed copy of the book!
Click here to register.

Newton Free Library presents: Make a Pollinator Hotel
2021-07-31 14:00 - 15:00 | Newton Free Library, 330 Homer St, Newton, MA, 02459, United States
Join us at the library for our first in-person MakerSpace program! We’ll use materials like paper, branches, and other natural objects to create unique pollinator hotels. These hotels will hopefully attract local solitary bees and other helpful critters to your yard!
We’ll have tools and supplies at the library, but we encourage you to bring your own materials and tools to share. Some examples of useful things to bring:

Reclaimed wood (old drawers, small crates and planks, etc.)
Pinecones
Straw
Tin cans (empty and rinsed)
Newspaper

New Art Center presents: Art Education as Self Care
2021-07-28 12:00 - 13:00, 2021-07-21 12:00 - 13:00, 2021-07-14 12:00 - 13:00 | ONLINE, United Kingdom, E16 2DQ
Art education + creativity exercises + stress relief + group discussions = this workshop series! If you’re looking for intellectual stimulation that doesn’t feel hard, if you’re hoping for a burst of creativity in the middle of your workday, if you’re looking for the soothing effects of art — look no further. Join a small group of fellow art enthusiasts and/or new art lovers for a 2 month exploration into how a little bit of art education combined with reflection provides YOU with a refreshing and inspiring experience … all in one hour per week! Each session will consist of a facilitated discussion about a piece of art using Visual Thinking Strategies, after which the conversation segues into writing/reflective exercises, creativity prompts, and group investigations into self-analysis. Furthermore, you’ll improve your listening and communication skills as well as your ability to talk about art, its expression and interpretation. Give yourself the self-care you need in a creative way.
Click here to sign up.

Historic Newton presents: Virtual Paddle Tour of the Charles River
2021-07-27 19:00 - 20:00 | ONLINE, United Kingdom, E16 2DQ
From the 1880s through the 1920s, summer weekends brought thousands of boats to the “Lakes District” of the Charles River between Newton Lower Falls and Waltham. Follow along as we paddle past sites of historic interest in this area, including the former Norumbega Park, now the subject of Historic Newton’s new book. Also step into the boathouse that was once the headquarters of a police patrol on the river. This virtual tour with Paddle Boston is supported in part by Newton Wellesley Hospital and a grant from the Newton Cultural Council, a local agency which is supported by the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency. Register in advance to receive the Zoom link.

Newton Free Library presents: Exploring the Universe Part 2 - Caught in the Cosmic Web
2021-07-27 19:00 - 20:00 | ONLINE, United Kingdom, E16 2DQ
Join Margaret Geller for a journey through the universe – part two of our Exploring the Universe series. Throughout her career, she has been caught in the cosmic web, the largest pattern we know in nature. She will describe her role in discovering these patterns in the nearby universe and her ongoing work to map the way they evolve.
Margaret J. Geller is an astrophysicist at the Center for Astrophysics in Cambridge. She is a pioneer in mapping the nearby universe. Her maps provided a new view of the enormous patterns in the distribution of galaxies like the Milky Way – the largest patterns we know. Dr. Geller is a MacArthur Fellow, a member of the National Academy of Sciences, a New York Public Library Lion and the recipient of seven honorary degrees.
Cosponsored by the Ashland Public Library.
Registration for this program will end two hours before the start time. The login information will be sent just after registration closes. Please be sure to check your spam folder in case it lands there.

Amherst Early Music Online Festival
2021-07-25, 2021-07-24, 2021-07-23, 2021-07-22, 2021-07-21, 2021-07-20, 2021-07-19, 2021-07-18 and 1 more date | ONLINE, United Kingdom, E16 2DQ
The AEM ONLINE FESTIVAL will feature over 40 classes taught by an international faculty, a Concert Series, masterclasses, a lecture, Music and Instrument Exhibition, Auction, and more! Classes are $25 each, Concerts are $20. Special Events are free for everyone. Click here for a list of classes, special events, and more.

Boston Ballet's Back-to-School Open Houses
2021-07-24 | Boston Ballet School, 153 Needham St, Suite N101, Newton Highlands, MA, 02464, United States
Children ages 16 months-7 years old are invited to experience a free sample class led by expert Boston Ballet School faculty, learn more about school year programming, and take a tour of the studios. Register here.
Saturday, July 24
Newton Studio – 153 Needham Street
10 am: 16 months-age 2
11 am: Ages 3-4
12 pm: Ages 5-7
Saturday, August 14
Boston Studio – 19 Clarendon Street
10 am: 16 months-age 2
11 am: Ages 3-4
12 pm: Ages 5-7

New Art Center presents: Japanese Hand-Building Pottery Workshop
2021-07-22 17:30 - 20:00, 2021-07-15 17:30 - 20:00 | New Art Center, 61 Washington Park, Newton, MA, 02460, United States
Are you interested in making a beautiful pottery bowl without the struggle of mastering wheel-throwing techniques? This workshop is for all levels from complete beginners to experienced potters who wish to explore Japanese pottery making.“Tebineri” is a traditional Japanese hand-building pottery technique. In this 2 day workshop, students will learn the “Tebineri” technique to make a pottery piece such as a bowl or a cup using a tabletop manual turning wheel. Students will also learn how to trim, refine and design the clay form to create a special pottery piece.The New Art Center will fire and glaze all work.
Click here to register.

West Suburban YMCA presents: Family Movie Night - "Honey I Shrunk the Kids"
2021-07-21 20:30 | WSYMCA, 276 Church St, Newton, MA, 02458, United States
It’s movie night at the Y! Grab a blanket or chairs and join us on the field for a viewing of the Disney classic “Honey I Shrunk the Kids.”
Families can arrive and get seated beginning at 7:30pm, and the movie will start at 8:30pm.
Admission:

FREE for members!
$10 for non-member families

Guests are welcome to bring a picnic or snacks to enjoy during the movie. We hope to see you there!
Thank you to our family movie night sponsors!
Cindy K. Laughrea, Realtor Historic Homes
Allen & Major Associates, Inc. and the A&M Charitable Foundation Inc.
Interested in sponsoring an event? Click here to learn more about sponsorship opportunities!

Newton Free Library presents: Poetry by the Pooh Statues
2021-07-21 16:30 - 17:15 | Newton Free Library, 330 Homer St, Newton, MA, 02459, United States
Do you love poetry and want to write some with other children? Meet us by the Pooh Statues behind the library to participate in this fun budding writer’s workshop! We will have paper and pencils. Just bring yourselves and your creativity. For ages 6-9 and their caregivers. If the ground is wet or in case of rain, this program will be virtual and a zoom link will be added to this description that morning.

New Art Center presents: Media Musing
2021-07-21 16:00 - 18:00, 2021-07-14 16:00 - 18:00 | ONLINE, United Kingdom, E16 2DQ
Join us for a 6-week come as you are mixed media mashup inspired by our Women in Abstraction exhibition! Students will use mixed media to explore collage and other forms of making. Perfect for making friends with the inner critic, connecting with inspiration, or connecting family and friends. We will center on playful discovery to create a series of work through mark-making, layering, materials, and prompts (music and readings). Students will be given a weekly (optional) assignment as well as a demonstration on how to approach the materials and surfaces suggested. Register here.

Newton Free Library presents: Prohibition Wine
2021-07-20 19:00 - 20:00 | ONLINE, United Kingdom, E16 2DQ
Join us for an author talk with TAB columnist and community activist, Marian Leah Knapp. Her new book, Prohibition Wine: A True Story of One Woman’s Daring in Twentieth-Century America, tells the story of how Marian’s grandmother, Rebecca Goldberg—a Jewish immigrant from the Russian Empire living in rural Massachusetts―lost her husband to a railroad accident. The tragedy left her alone with six children to raise. The book follows Rebecca through the 1920s as she transforms her egg delivery service into a more lucrative endeavor: bootlegging.
For five years, Rebecca successfully provided for her customers in secret as a means to support her family until she was caught. Knapp’s story chronicles how the lower class experienced the Prohibition, a side not always represented in popular media from the era. Rebecca’s life as a poor Jewish immigrant in Massachusetts holds a mirror to struggles still relevant today including disparities in access to education and healthcare and ongoing discrimination. This program is cosponsored by the City of Newton Department of Senior Services.
Registration for this program will end two hours before the start time. The login information will be sent just after registration closes. Please be sure to check your spam folder in case it lands there.

Newton Free Library presents: From Dragons to Unicorns - A Fantasy Animal Writing Workshop
2021-07-14 18:30 - 19:30 | Zoom
Are you a fan of animal fiction? What about fantasy? Join us as we learn to combine the best of both worlds as we get our imaginations flowing in this animal fiction writing program for rising 4th and 5th graders. Create a new world for fantasy animals to inhabit or a makeup a new animal altogether! Space is limited.
Registration is required. A zoom link will be sent out two days before the first session. When you sign up, you register for July 7 and 14.

Newton Free Library presents: Exploring the Universe Part 1 - Pluto Strikes Back
2021-07-13 19:00 - 20:00 | ONLINE, United Kingdom, E16 2DQ
Join Scott Kenyon for a visit to Pluto – the outcast – and only binary planet in the Solar System. Dr. Kenyon will guide a tour of the moons of Pluto and show how this system formed early in the history of the Solar System. This is part one of a two-part series which will continue on Tuesday, July 27 with a talk by Margaret Geller titled Caught in the Cosmic Web.
Scott J. Kenyon is an astrophysicist at the Center for Astrophysics in Cambridge. He builds numerical simulations to study the way stars and planetary systems form and evolve. Dr. Kenyon is a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the American Physical Society.
Registration for this program will end two hours before the start time. The login information will be sent just after registration closes. Please be sure to check your spam folder in case it lands there.

New Rep Theatre presents: Listen to Sipu
2021-07-11 17:30 | The Commander’s Mansion, 440 Talcott Avenue, Watertown, MA, 02472, United States
Listen to Sipu – A Watertown Historical Moving Play

By Morgan (Mwalim) J. Peters
Directed by Jaime Carrillo

Following the success of New Rep’s first Historical Moving Play, the Charles W. Experience, audiences were clamoring for more. Listen to Sipu answers the call with a captivating and powerful story that illuminates Watertown’s Indigenous history. Join in on a socially-distanced performance lead by a modern-day Tour Guide and meet Sipu, a quick-witted Indigenous woman who’s more than willing to correct misinformation when she hears it. Armed with facts, The Tour Guide begins describing Watertown’s local history only to find that the facts are missing a lot of truths. Sipu is ready to step in and set the record straight, as long as audiences are ready to listen. Click here to buy tickets.

Festival of the Arts: Pro Arte Quartet
2021-07-11 16:00 - 16:45 | The Allen Center, 35 Webster St, WEST NEWTON, MA, 02465, United States
As part of the 6th Annual Newton Festival of the Arts, enjoy a concert from Pro Arte’s Quartet.
Juneteenth marks the anniversary of the emancipation of slaves in the United States. The quartet will share three works by African American composers, each of which has moments of dance and reflection. Wynton Marsalis’ At the Octoroon Balls is a set of scenes inspired by his early life in New Orleans. We will play three movements from this work – Creole Contradanzas, Blue Lights on the Bayou, and the Rampart Street Row House Rag. Florence Price’s String Quartet No. 2 in A minor weaves together her beautiful lyric writing and African American vernacular with daring chromaticism and vibrant movement. The third movement (of four) is a Juba, a dance developed by Africans brought to America against their will. Dorothy Rudd Moore’s Modes is a beautiful and compact three-movement work, which ends with an energetic, movement-inspiring finale. Lisa Goddard & Colin Davis, violins, Anne Black, viola, and Steve Laven, cello.
